Distilled Wisdom

[threemonkeys]

Over the years I've had quite a bit to do with putting together material about convention running and have read a lot of wise and not so wise words about the subject from many sources. So, believe me when I say that if you are in the process of organising a con, you really must read what dalekboy has to say on the subject. Not so much a guide as some guiding principles from somebody who has both been there and done that.

Comments

[clockworkflight.livejournal.com]

Thank you *makes notes and emails out link*

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

I was rather hoping you would take a look :-)

A lot of it relates to people dynamic stuff and may not necessarily apply to you or any other particular con committee, but it is all stuff that Danny has experienced personally as so is well worth keeping in mind.

His brain dump was prompted by a conversation about the importance of getting a draft programme out early. The point being that a programme is an important sales tool to get new or wavering people along to the con.

[littenz.livejournal.com]

I think he left out - if you're on the concom turn up to meetings - but that would be about it.

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Well there are IMHO one or two things, but as a quick consciousness dump, it is amazing.

One thing was the original discussion which triggered it which was the importance of getting the draft programme out early. (even doing what Robin did for CWTW and just get a straw man programme out there)

Another that that "we have always had one of those" is not an excuse to keep doing it. Thinking particularly of the banquet here.

People will sponsor you, but you have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your financial prince.

Just because a core group of older fans had a good time does not mean the con was a success.

[littenz.livejournal.com]

I was impressed with the scope of the post given that it had the feel of an off the top of the head rant.

I agree with your comments about straw man programmes and past-use-by-date events, and your last comment about core older fans too.

I found that turning up to concom meetings with absentees and comments of "Any word from X? Because we really need to know what the status of Y is." did not promote good planning and customer focus. Further, finding out I was the leading convention publicist was more than a trifle disconcerting. Talk about playing to your weaknesses.

[lobelet.livejournal.com]

There's always a certain "you can't do that because we've never done that before" attitude that drives me mad. The banquet is a particular case in point. I fail to understand why anyone would want to shell out money for bad food and expensive drink, not to mention the "us and them" attitude it engenders between banquet attendees and non-attendees.

And don't get me started on the utterly nonsensical habit of never, ever, under any circumstances scheduling a programme item opposite the GOH speech on the completely spurious grounds that of course everyone wants to go to the GOH event.

Con With The Wind shattered that particular myth. But has anyone learned the lesson that it taught? Of course not!

[threemonkeys.livejournal.com]

Conspiracy II scheduled opposite the GOH speeches (they listened when I gave them that bit of advice). Unfortunately, they scheduled the speeches at times that would normally be meal times so the effect was rather lost.